Warm Homes Network fuel poverty scheme launched

Cadent, which describes itself as the UK's largest gas network with over 11 million customers, announced on 30 August 2023 a new pilot scheme intended to alleviate fuel poverty through personal support¹. The Warm Homes Network will pilot in Birmingham in August and September 2023, ahead of a rural Cumbria pilot in October and expected GB-wide roll out in 2024¹.

The first phase will test the network by supporting up to 200 customers living in the most vulnerable situations¹. Consumers referred to the scheme should expect to save in excess of £3,000 each through access to expert energy, money and benefits advice, and it is estimated that the initial Birmingham pilot alone will see benefits totalling more than £580k¹.

The network is led by Cadent in collaboration with National Grid, Northern Gas Networks, National Energy Action, Google Cloud and others¹. Organisations signed up to support consumers include National Grid, Northern Gas Networks, Google Cloud, National Energy Action, Groundwork UK, YES Energy Solutions, Pennysmart, the Cadent Foundation and Birmingham City Council, with more expected to join as the programme rolls out¹.

"Having a one-stop-shop for vital guidance, including energy efficiency, benefits entitlement and debt advice, will remove complexity for consumers, as well as maximising the amount families can save."

Edward Allard, Social Programmes Manager at Cadent, said the scheme was established because funding to support vulnerable customers exists across the industry but projects can overlap, meaning time and budgets are not always maximised¹. Neil Osborne of Google Cloud said its role was to develop a tool alongside specialists from Egnida to target customers who would benefit most from a referral¹. Adam Scorer, chief executive of National Energy Action, said the charity looked forward to working with Birmingham City Council and others to help Ladywood residents access national or local energy assistance and income maximisation services¹.

Why it matters for households

The scheme is a referral route rather than a grant: support comes as advice on energy, money and benefits, delivered through a single point of contact rather than separate organisations¹. For a household, the practical effect is that help with bills, entitlement checks and energy efficiency guidance is coordinated, which Cadent says removes complexity and maximises what families can save¹. The £3,000 figure is an expected average saving per referred consumer, not a payment, and it has not been reported how individual households would be selected beyond referral through the network's targeting tool¹. The Birmingham phase is capped at 200 customers, so the pilot's reach is small relative to the 11 million homes Cadent says it serves¹. Households outside Birmingham and Cumbria have no confirmed route into the scheme until the expected 2024 roll out, and no eligibility criteria, application process or funding amounts for individual measures have been reported¹. For homes looking at insulation or heating upgrades through established routes, the grants-schemes hub sets out the current landscape, including the Boiler Upgrade Scheme eligibility rules, the closed Green Homes Grant and Home Upgrade Grant schemes, and how the Warm Homes: Local Grant compares with the Great British Insulation Scheme.

What happens next

The Birmingham pilot runs through August and September 2023, followed by a rural Cumbria pilot in October 2023, with GB-wide roll out expected in 2024¹. Cadent invites organisations interested in funding or delivering parts of the project as it scales to contact Edward Allard¹.

Sources1 cited

1. Launch of Warm Homes Network - Cadent Gas Ltd, cadentgas.com